One of the benefits touted with the Butler School District's consolidation plan was that it would reduce class sizes, especially for the youngest students.

By having fewer buildings, but more students in each building, the district has been able to stabilize, or even out, its class sizes, said Mary Wolf, assistant superintendent for kindergarten through sixth grade.

The district this year closed four elementary schools because of declining enrollment and to reduce costs.

Enrollment and class size figures for this year compared to last year show that the district is close to its target numbers for class sizes.

Coming into this year, the administration set target class size numbers for the first time. It targeted having 20 students per class for kindergarten through third grade and 25 per class for grades four through six.

Last year, there were six instances of a grade level at a school having an average class size of more than 25. For example, last year Summit Elementary School's one fifth grade class had 30 students. This year those same students are at Butler Middle School in the city on East North Street, where the average class size is 24.

The target class sizes were set with the intention of helping teachers give as much one-on-one attention to students as needed, Wolf said.

“The benefit for students and teachers at the primary level is you are able to meet individual needs more appropriately,” she said.

“We do group our students at times into small groups and have instructional activities for small groups, so the teachers can manage that easier.”

Starting with the fourth grade, most students are more independent and mature, meaning it is possible to have larger classes, she said.

Fluctuations in enrollment, which are out of the district's control, now have a lesser impact on class sizes.

Wolf gave the example of this year's fifth grade, which is only in the Butler Middle School.

This year there are 21 classrooms of fifth graders with 23 students per class. The district could take up to 42 new fifth graders before it would need to consider hiring another teacher, she said.

Tom DeGeorge, president of the Butler Education Association and an emotional support teacher, said the new student class size target numbers are realistic and benefit both teachers and students.

“Small class sizes are really beneficial to the students. With the diverse needs of children, academic, social and emotional needs, it allows teachers to attend to all of those,” DeGeorge said.

From 2009 to this year, the teaching staff in the district has been reduced to 520 from 580 through attrition, DeGeorge said.

While enrollment also is declining, the staff reductions at the high school have caused class sizes to increase and electives to be cut there.

Though some positions have been restored, there still is room for improvement at the high school regarding student class size, he said.

“Overall things are going well. We still have some classes at the secondary level that are high, and we would like to see them lowered,” DeGeorge said.